She had a shunt inserted in her brain when she was 3-1/2 mos old. She is now 19 and has already had to have 10 brain surgeries. What happened is that she was improperly shunted as an infant and her brain overdrained for almost a year (hardly had any fluid in it) and she developed slit ventricle syndrome. Then we found our Hero – Dr. Rekate of Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) who knew that you can’t shunt someone with achondroplasia the same way you do everyone else – he truly saved her life!

Another one of our Heros is LP Caleb Nelson who struggled through many many many surgeries. Doctors gained much information regarding hydrocephalus in achondroplasia through Caleb, who eventually passed away. We will always remember him for his strength and courage and for never giving up.

Britney also has many sets of ear tubes, her adenoids removed, and then her tonsils removed due to sleep apnea. She has also had 2 surgeries on her ankles (epiphysiodesis distal fibula bilateral) for bowing of the legs, and now has screws in the bottom of her ankles.